The present invention relates generally to agricultural implements having pivotally movable members and, more particularly, to a control linkage for steering a ground engaging wheel on a unitized raking implement.
Unitized raking implements in which two rake baskets are permanently and movably supported on the frame of the mechanism to permit a positioning of the rake baskets in a number of orientations, yet provide a transport position in which the rake baskets are carried in a minimal width orientation, have been developed to provide a multiple number of functions that can be accomplished with the rake baskets. Examples of such unitized rakes can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,343,142 and in the commercial embodiments manufactured by Vermeer Manufacturing Co. as model R-23 Twinrake, and by the Allen Manufacturing Company as its Model 852 rake. The provision of a unitized rake incorporating a pair of pivotal frame arms carrying the rake baskets permits the wheels to be steered into a non-parallel orientation with respect to the direction of travel of the implement to affect a pivotal movement of the frame arms. It is desirable to provide a control mechanism to control the horizontal rotation of the wheels between parallel and non-parallel orientations so that the wheel can be positioned in a parallel orientation with respect to the direction of travel irrespective of where the frame arm is positioned along its pivotal movement between transport and operative positions.